Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics
A/B/O Dynamics, or Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, are a fanfic trope that centers around the concept of human knotting and mating, also called soulbonding, and the relationships between Alpha, Beta and Omega. In this trope, readers will see a wide variety of universes and different world-building, but really, there are just a few important things that one needs to know before they will be ready to jump into the world of A/B/O and find out for themselves! The six sexes are as follows: male alpha, female alpha, male beta, female beta, male omega, and female omega. These categorizations will be further explained in the biology section of this text. Presentation At birth, all humans present a primary gender- male or female. From the ages of 13-18, depending on the particular fic, females and males present as their secondary gender- Alpha, Beta or Omega. Presentation is typically accompanied by a heat or rut, and after secondary presentation humans will now give off a certain scent depending on whether they are Alpha, Beta or Omega. Alpha The dominant presentation, Alpha presentations are typically preferred in A/B/O society. Alphas usually hold high paying jobs or occupy powerful government positions. Upon puberty/presentation, Alphas develop knots on their genitalia. In most fics, Alphas are male. However, in fics where there are female Alphas, they look like regular women with a smaller, external knot and internal testes. Of course, this is all dependent upon the fic author. For more information on Alpha biology, click here. Personal Note: In my fic, males and females can both present as Alphas equally and successfully get their Omega mates pregnant. Beta Betas are the neutral presentation. In most fics, their senses of smell of less than that of Alphas and Omegas, and they typically do not give off strong pheromones like Alphas or Omegas do. Generally speaking, they are just regular humans. Depending on the fic, female Betas may be able to get pregnant by their Alpha/Beta mates. Male Betas cannot get pregnant. In some A/B/O Universes, Betas do not exist. Personal Note: In my fics, only female Betas can get pregnant, and can be impregnated by either an Alpha or a Beta. Beta males can also impregnate Omegas. However, I have not yet written a story where a Beta character actively impregnates his mate. Omega The submissive presentation, and in fics often described as the most shameful. Omegas produce slick when they are in heat and when they are aroused. Omegas have slick-glands, or auto-lubricant glands, that when stimulated produce a moist substance that resembles real life lube and makes penetration easier. Omegas can also become pregnant, and depending on the fic, typically carry more than one child per pregnancy. Omegas are typically smaller than Alphas and Betas. Female Omegas have the same appearance as a regular human woman, while male Omegas typically have a smaller penis and balls. In some fics, male Omegas are castrated upon presentation (more on A/B/O castration here). Personal Note: In my fic, Omegas are just as common as Alphas and Betas. Omegas are typically treated with stereotypical expectations and occupy jobs as caretakers, such as teaching and nursing. Mpreg Depending on the fic author, some stories do not include mpreg. In stories that do include mpreg, male Omegas birth in one of three ways: #Anal birth #A vaginal opening that manifests days/weeks before the birth and then closes up again after the baby has been born #C-Section In some tropes, male Omegas are extremely rare and therefore male pregnancies are considered more difficult. However, in most fics Omegas are naturally inclined to birthing children and there is no problem at all. Personal Note: In my fic, male Omegas give birth through their anal opening, and that is where they are knotted as well. Male pregnancies are no more complicated than any other type of pregnancy, and Omegas are actually easier birthers than Betas. Heat/Rut Fertile Omegas and Alphas experience heats and ruts from the age of presentation until they reach an age where they can no longer have children. Omegas suffer from heats while Alphas typically suffer from ruts. Like female menstruation, Omega heats can last from 3-7 days, while Alpha Ruts are usually shorter, all depending on the universe that the fic author has built. Alphas and Omegas can usually get themselves through their heats through masturbation and by using toys, though in some universes Omega Heats can become fatal if the Omega does not mate with an Alpha. Fics with this trope are usually labeled ‘fuck or die’, or something similar to that effect. Heats and Ruts occur regularly for healthy Omegas and Alphas, and depending on the fic author can occur at regular intervals between 1 months or a year. The most common ‘heat schedules’ you will see in fanfic are monthly, tri-monthly and yearly. Some fics do not feature Alpha ruts. Read more about heats and ruts here. Personal Note: In my fic, heats and ruts occur monthly and typically last about five days for the Omega or Alpha. Knotting Knotting in A/B/O, conceptually, is the same way that it is for dogs and wolves. During penetrative sex, an Alpha’s knot inflates the closer they get to orgasm. The knot locks them inside of their sex partner while they cum, theoretically to increase the chance of pregnancy. In fanfic, knots typically last anywhere from 15 minutes to several hours. Orgasm can be achieved without knotting one’s partner, and knots do not typically form when Alphas are masturbating. When a knot is not inflated, it remains as a ring of soft tissue around the base of an Alpha’s penis. More information on knotting here and here. Personal Note: In my fics, knots typically last for at least an hour. During heats and ruts the body adapts and the knot lasts for shorter periods of time. Mating/Marking When Alpha, Beta or Omega couples want to be with each other for life, they form a mating bond together. This is usually done during fornication/knotting, where the Alpha will bite the Omega’s neck and leave a mark on their skin. This mark does not necessarily have to be on the Omega’s neck, though- it can be anywhere on their body. Likewise, in some fics Omegas mark their Alpha’s necks/bodies with a biting claim as well. Some fics may include soulbonding, where mates are able to read each other’s minds or feel each other’s emotions. Scent marking is practiced by mated Alphas, Betas and Omegas to reassure themselves in times of distress and/or to mark their ‘territory’. Omegas and Alphas typically scent each other or scent mark each other by wearing one another’s clothes, clinging to each other, or sniffing one another’s scent glands. Personal Note: In my fic, only Alphas leave mating bites on their partner’s skin, and typically bite their necks. I have not written a fic yet where Alphas bite a different part of their mate’s body. Suppressants Like human birth control, suppressants prevent pregnancy. Suppressants, especially Omega suppressants, come with bad side effects like intense nausea and in some instances infertility. Suppressants for Alphas and Omegas are meant to stop heats/ruts, though in some fics suppressants do not stop Omega heats, just make them more bearable. Prolonged use of suppressants can have horrible consequences for both Alphas and Omegas. Here are some headcanons about A/B/O Suppressants based on collected theories/fics. Personal Note: In my fic, Omegas and Alphas take suppressants to prevent heats and ruts and prevent pregnancy. The only thing that can stop suppressants from working is an encounter with one’s soulmate, where the two parties engage in unprotected sex. Prolonged use of suppressants in Omegas can lead to infertility, pregnancy complications and/or birth defects in the future. Soul Mates This can, in some instances, be considered its own trope. There are countless soulmate AU’s and fic-starters that are unrelated to A/B/O in the least (world goes from gray to color, handwriting on your soulmate’s wrist, etc.). However, when combined with A/B/O verse these individual tropes can really become something amazing. Soul mates can come in the form of Alpha/Alpha, Alpha/Beta, Alpha/Omega, Beta/Beta, Beta/Omega, or Omega/Omega parings (in fic, Omega/Omega and Alpha/Alpha pairings are typically marginalized and discriminated against in the same way the LGBT community is in real life). Soul mates are drawn to each other inexplicably and often times can simply tell by looking into one another’s eyes that they are soulmates. This trope is very dependent on the author of the particular fic. Personal Note: I have never written a soul mate au before, so I am not the best source on this information. For more in depth information on soul mates in A/B/O, go here. For More Information: Fanlore – Alpha/Beta/Omega Fanndists’ Omegaverse Masterpost #Biology #Demographics #Sociology #Sexuality #Family Terms What the fuck is A/B/O? The History of A/B/O – The beginnings of Alpha/Beta/Omega in the SPN Fandom Rundown of the OmegaVerse Category:Concepts